


Airships, time, and other human constructs

by Gilrael



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 06:04:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19042621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilrael/pseuds/Gilrael
Summary: “Oh, so...Youare going to fix it?” The young man with the pretty hands sounded way too sceptical for Hisashi's liking.“Of course,” he huffed as he buttoned up his cloak. “Do you have a problem with that?”Mr Pretty-Hands blushed and pulled his hat on again, making sure to pull the brim down to cover part of his face.“No. You just seem... young,” he mumbled.“I could say the same thing about you."~~~Trying to find someone to fix the captain's clock, Narita comes across the young watchmaker Kinoshita. They are instantly smitten with each other but Narita has to leave town soon. Will they be able to meet again?





	Airships, time, and other human constructs

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally time for my KinoNari Steampunk AU! I've been itching to write this for ages. Thanks to Nana for being the best beta reader!

Hisashi had always had a fascination with clockwork and gears, spending hours upon hours of his childhood looking over his grandmother's shoulders as she fixed tiny watches and huge grandfather clocks until finally, he was deemed old enough to help. He loved fiddling with tiny screws, tightening and loosening them so the gears would run smoothly and make the hands of pocket watches tick in a precise rhythm. But what he loved even more than that were huge clock towers. There was something immensely satisfying about being the one to make sure that the bells would ring at the exact times they were supposed to, announcing shift changes to an entire town.

The Kinoshita family were the keepers of time of Torono, and Hisashi couldn't have been prouder to be a part of that legacy. And so the noise of the tiny bell above the door of the workshop put a smile on Hisashi's face.

“Welcome to _Kinoshita Clockworks_ , how can I be of service to you?” he said, carefully laying down the pocket watch he'd been working on before looking up into the face of a young man who appeared to be roughly the same age. He looked a little timid and withdrawn, taking off his hat to reveal close-cropped hair and carefully looking around the room before stepping up to the counter behind which Hisashi had been working.

“Erm, I was told to come and get someone to fix the captain's clock on our airship,” the customer said, wrinkling the hat between his fingers. “Preferably by the end of the afternoon.”

He had beautifully shaped hands, although they were covered in blisters and callouses. Hisashi's friend Noya always pointed out that it was weird that the first thing Hisashi really noticed about people were their hands, but Hisashi couldn't help it.

“Well, you've come to the right place then,” he said, getting up from his stool and grabbing his cap and cloak from the hook on the wall. He quickly stuck his head through the broad doorway that led to the back of the workshop and announced to his grandmother and father that he would be leaving for a job.

“Oh, so... _You_ are going to fix it?” The young man with the pretty hands sounded way too sceptical for Hisashi's liking.

“Of course,” he huffed as he buttoned up his cloak. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Mr Pretty-Hands blushed and pulled his hat on again, making sure to pull the brim down to cover part of his face.

“No. You just seem... young,” he mumbled.

“I could say the same thing about you. Shouldn't you still be in school instead of working on an airship?” Hisashi asked.

“Erm, I graduated this spring.”

“What a coincidence! So did I,” Hisashi said, grinning and flicking the other guy's hat so it didn't obscure his face as much. He was kinda cute when he was flustered.

“I'm Kinoshita Hisashi, by the way,” Hisashi introduced himself. “I've been helping out in my family's workshop since I was twelve.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn't introduce myself, did I? I'm Narita Kazuhito. Engineer in training on the _Karasuno_.”

“Nice to meet you, Narita-kun,” Hisashi said and grabbed the bag with his tools. “Now, where is that airship of yours?”

“At the airport. Where else would it be?”

 

As far as airships went, the  _Karasuno_ was a standard trade ship, maybe a little on the smaller side and clearly built for speed. As they approached it, Narita-kun shouted for one of the crewmembers to lower the ramp so they could board. Hisashi followed him with excitement bubbling up inside of him. It wasn't every day that he got to be on an airship. In fact, he'd only ever travelled with one when he and his mother had gone to visit her family in Kyoto. 

“So where is this clock that I'm supposed to fix?” Hisashi asked, curiously watching the crew of the ship going about their work on deck.

“Follow me,” Narita-kun said, leading Hisashi to the captain's cabin and knocking on the door.

“Come in!”

The two young men entered the room. The first thing Hisashi noticed was the strong smell of tobacco. 

“I found someone who can fix your clock, Captain Ukai,” Narita-kun announced to the man who was sitting behind a desk that was cluttered with navigational tools. “This is Kinoshita Hisashi from _Kinoshita Clockworks_.”

Hisashi felt small under the gaze of the captain. There was something rough about him, what with his bleached hair and pierced ears.

“Thank you very much for coming by on such short notice, Kinoshita-san,” Captain Ukai said.

Hisashi gave a quick bow.

“It's my pleasure, sir. Where is the clock in question?”

Captain Ukai pointed at an ornate longcase clock.

“It used to be my grandfather's, so I'm not quite sure if it's not too old to even bother fixing,” Captain Ukai explained, “but I am quite attached to it.”

“All clocks are worth fixing,” Hisashi insisted, stepping up to the clock and opening up the case. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Thank you very much.” The Captain got up from his desk. “I have things to do and places to be before we leave tonight, so please excuse me. Narita, you should watch him. Maybe you can learn something from Kinoshita-san.”

“Aye aye, sir!”

With that, the captain stepped out of the cabin, leaving Hisashi and Narita-kun alone. Hisashi immediately began examining the clockwork.

“So... You said you've been doing this since you were twelve?” Narita-kun asked, awkwardly shuffling his feet.

“Yeah. I would've started helping out earlier, but my grandma wouldn't let me. She'd say my motor skills weren't developed enough.”

“Oh. And you never thought of doing... something else?” Narita-kun asked.

“Well... I have,” Hisashi admitted as he carefully moved the weights to see how that would affect the rest of the clockwork. “I've been fed up with this whole clockmaking and fixing business a couple of times. I'd even gone and helped out at my uncle's bakery for half a year, but to be quite honest, getting up so early in the morning is a crime against nature.”

Narita laughed. It was a very pleasing sound, and Hisashi thought that he might like to hear more of it.

They kept talking while Hisashi did his work – about how Narita-kun had seized the opportunity to work on the  _Karasuno_ to get out of his tiny hometown, about how being an adult was clearly not what everyone made it out to be, and about what Hisashi was doing to fix the clock. Being an engineer's apprentice, Narita-kun was familiar with gears, but clockwork was very different from the steam engine that powered the airship, and he seemed very eager to listen to Hisashi as he explained how to adjust the weights and pendulum. It wasn't very often that Hisashi got to talk to someone his own age who actually wanted to know about the intricate details of clockmaking. It was even less often that said person was an attractive man with nice hands and infectious laughter. 

The more they talked, the more Narita-kun's shyness seemed to crumble away, making way for tiny jokes that put a smile on Hisashi's face without fail. His company was so pleasant that Hisashi didn't notice how time was slipping through his fingers, and suddenly, the longcase clock was ticking again.

It was time to get paid and leave.

“Let me fetch Takeda-san real quick. He's in charge of money 'round here,” Narita-kun said, stepping out on deck and walking straight toward a rather frazzled looking man with wire-frame glasses. Takeda-san ripped a page from a notebook he was carrying, scribbled something on it and handed it to Narita-kun who walked back to Hisashi with an apologetic smile on his face.

“It seems like we don't have the right amount of coins at hand right now, so we'll need to go to the bank real quick...”

Usually, this would have annoyed Hisashi, but at the moment, he welcomed any excuse to spend just a little more time with Narita-kun. Just one more conversation, just a few more jokes, just a little more time before they had to part. 

“So... What's your next destination?” Hisashi asked as they walked through the streets of Torono towards the bank.

“We're flying to Nagano via Sendai and Niigata,” Narita-kun replied.

“And how long will it take you to come back here?”

“We'll probably stay in Nagano for a couple of days before we fly to Yokohama and then back up here.” Narita-kun frowned as he thought of an answer. “That's about half a month of travel. We'll probably make a couple stops between Yokohama and Torono. Why are you asking?”

Hisashi should've seen that question coming, but he could still feel the nerves in his stomach.

“Well...” Should he say the truth? It couldn't hurt, right? “I was just... wondering... when we'd be able to meet again.”

“Oh!” Almost immediately, Narita-kun's face flushed red. He cleared his throat and adjusted his hat. “I'll come by the shop when I'm in town again. That is... if you don't mind?”

“That'd be nice,” Hisashi said, feeling a little hot around the collar himself.

 

***

 

The last time Kazuhito had felt any kind of hesitation before getting aboard the airship had been when he left his hometown for the first time in his life. He'd been excited to gain independence from his large family and to go out and see the world. And yet, it had been rather nerve-wracking to leave his old life behind. There was a huge difference between farming and life on an airship, but the crew of the  _Karasuno_ had accepted him amongst themselves with open arms. They were his family now, more so than the people Kazuhito was related to by blood. No one judged him here. No one cared that he tended to prefer men over women. As long as he did his share of the work on deck and followed Takinoue-san's instructions in the engine room, Kazuhito was just allowed to be. 

“Sooo... Narita-kun,” Suga-san said as Kazuhito stepped back on deck, “that watchmaker boy was quite pretty, wasn't he?”

Kazuhito groaned and rubbed his face with his palms. “I know.”

“The two of you seemed to get along reeeaaaally well.”

“ _I know_ ,” Kazuhito repeated, sitting down on a stray crate that hadn't yet been loaded into the storeroom. “He was so nice, Suga-san! And he's set to inherit the family business. I have absolutely no chance of wooing him.”

“I wouldn't be so sure of that,” Takinoue-san, Kazuhito's mentor, suddenly chimed in. “We'll be back here in two weeks, and I'm sure we can convince the captain to have us take a bit of a longer break here for once.”

“Captain Ukai is not gonna let us stay in port for longer than is necessary just so I can spend some time with a random guy,” Kazuhito muttered.

“Oh, it'll be absolutely necessary for you to spend some time with that watchmaker,” Takinoue-san said, grinning widely. “He's going to teach you how to maintain clocks and watches after all.”

“What?” Kazuhito stared at his mentor with wide eyes.

“I'm not good with that fiddly stuff, but you have enough attention for detail that it would be a shame for you to not acquire a skill like that,” Takinoue-san went on. “I'm sure we can persuade the boy and his family to teach you with a bit of money. It'll be an investment in the future, and you'll get to spend more time with that pretty boy of yours. That's killing two birds with one stone, I'd say!”

Kazuhito couldn't quite believe that these words were coming out of the mouth of his own mentor, but he was once again overwhelmed with gratitude that he was a crew member of the  _Karasuno_ . 

 

Everyday life on the  _Karasuno_ was hectic. Pressure levels in the engine had to be steadily maintained, and navigating the airship through bad weather conditions involved the entire crew. During the day, Kazuhito barely had time to let his mind wander, but lying in his hammock at night, he imagined what he would do when he returned to Torono. He'd go to  _Kinoshita Clockworks_ and ask Kinoshita-kun to teach him how to fix clocks and watches, and then they'd spend days together, talking and laughing as they fiddled with gears and springs. They would get to know each other, and eventually, Kazuhito would make Kinoshita-kun fall for him. But they would never be able to be together properly. Kazuhito would have to leave again, and Kinoshita-kun would stay behind in Torono. There was no way that Kinoshita-kun would be willing to wait for Kazuhito. Hell, what if he wasn't even interested in men, to begin with? Maybe his question about when Kazuhito would be back was born from entirely platonic feelings.

Needless to say that sleep tended to evade Kazuhito in the two weeks it took them to get back to Torono.

“Okay, everyone. We'll be staying here for ten days,” Captain Ukai announced to the crew. “Take that time to rest. Don't get into bar fights, and behave yourselves.”

“Aye aye, Captain!” the crew replied in unison before they dispersed.

Kazuhito and Takeda-san immediately made their way into the town centre. At the thought of seeing Kinoshita-kun again, Kazuhito felt like he'd swallowed a bunch of butterflies. He really hoped that this would work out, otherwise he would've wasted everyone's time.

“Takinoue said that you are quite fond of this watchmaker,” Takeda-san said as they walked up to the Kinoshita family workshop.

“Why can't he keep his mouth shut?” Kazuhito grumbled. If Takeda-san knew about this, then Captain Ukai probably knew as well.

“He only has your best interest at heart,” Takeda-san said, stopping in front of the workshop's door. “Don't worry. We're all rooting for you.”

That didn't make the fact that a good chunk of the crew, including their boss, knew about Kazuhito's stupid crush any less embarrassing.

Takeda-san pushed open the door, causing a small bell to announce their arrival. Kazuhito followed him, taking off his hat as he entered the building.

“Welcome to _Kino_ –” Kinoshita-kun's eyes went wide when he recognised Kazuhito. “Narita-kun! You're back!”

The smile that spread across Kinoshita-kun's face was mesmerising. He was so beautiful and captivating, Kazuhito didn't even know how to respond. He just awkwardly lifted his hand and waved. Luckily, Takeda-san was there to do the actual talking.

“Hello, Kinoshita-kun. I am Takeda Ittetsu. I'm in charge of trading and finances on board of the _Karasuno_.”

“Er, nice to meet you, Takeda-san,” Kinoshita-kun said, giving a little bow and throwing a confused look in Kazuhito's direction. “Is there something wrong with the clock I fixed, or...”

“Oh no! It's been working perfectly,” Takeda-san said. “I'm just here to ask if it would be possible for your family to teach our junior engineer a little something about clocks and watches. It would be great if we didn't have to wait until we arrive in the next port whenever something breaks. We'd reimburse you for the efforts, of course.”

Kinoshita hesitated. “I... I'd have to... ask my grandmother,” he said haltingly. “Please wait here.”

Kazuhito felt like throwing up. This was more nerve-wracking than having to weather a storm on an airship.

“He was quite excited to see you, wasn't he?” Takeda-san whispered. Kazuhito didn't dare to open his mouth for a reply.

 

***

 

Hisashi's mind was racing as he went upstairs. This was an amazing opportunity if he could convince his grandmother to allow him to teach Narita-kun. Hisashi hadn't been able to get the other young man out of his head for the last two weeks, and neither had he been able to stop himself from going to the airport multiple times, always keeping a lookout for the  _Karasuno_ and always coming back home with a sense of disappointment, although he'd known full well that there was no way the airship would return that early. 

“Grandma?” Hisashi found her in the kitchen chopping vegetables.

“What is it, Hisashi?”

“You remember how I fixed a clock on an airship a couple weeks ago?” Hisashi asked her.

“I do.”

Hisashi's grandmother had never been one to use more words than was absolutely necessary. Back when he'd still been a kid, that had been rather intimidating. Even today, Hisashi felt some apprehension when he talked to her, which led him to just spill everything in one go, barely taking the time to breathe in between sentences.

“Well, I told you how I made friends with one of the crewmembers, right? He's their apprentice engineer, and apparently, they want me to teach him how to fix clocks. I'd even get paid for doing so.”

Hisashi's grandmother turned around, one eyebrow raised.

“You sound rather eager to do this,” she said.

“Well...” Sheepishly, Hisashi scratched the back of his head. “I guess I am?”

Shrugging, his grandmother turned back around.

“Then go ahead. Just make sure to negotiate an appropriate rate for your teachings,” she said. “You are an accomplished artisan after all.”

“I will!” Hisashi exclaimed, immediately scrambling to get back downstairs.

“Remember to finish your work for the day, though!” his grandmother yelled after him.

 

***

 

None of this was good for Kazuhito's heart – not the smile on Kinoshita-kun's face as he announced that his grandmother had given him the go-ahead to teach Kazuhito, not the way Takeda-san gave him a thumbs-up when Kinoshita-kun's back was turned, not the fact that he was immediately told to help Kinoshita-kun out with finishing up his work for the day. He had hoped that he would at least get a night to prepare himself.

But Kinoshita-kun was like a whirlwind, ready to wreak havoc on Kazuhito's mind, heart and life. He seemed to have no regard for personal space, telling Kazuhito to lean in close to have a better look at the minuscule gears he was replacing in someone's pocket watch.

“I'll see if I can find some old wall clocks for you to fiddle with tomorrow,” Kinoshita-kun said when Kazuhito expressed concern that he'd just mess up on a scale as small as that. “Those are a little more robust than these watches.”

“If you say so.”

Kinoshita-kun rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder against Kazuhito's.

“Don't worry. Once I'm done with you, you'll know how to fix clockwork in your sleep.”

Kazuhito seriously doubted that. Especially with how distracting Kinoshita-kun's mere presence could be. He spent the rest of the evening trying his best to actually listen to the words that came out of Kinoshita-kun's mouth instead of staring at his lips, and to look at where his fingers were pointing instead of marvelling at how slender they were. It was tough at times, but the fact that Kinoshita-kun was so eager to explain and teach certainly helped things along.

Only when the sun started to set and Kinoshita-kun lit up the oil lamp at his workstation, did Kazuhito realise just how much time he must have spent with him.

“I... I should get back to the airship. I told Asahi-san that I'd be back for dinner,” Kazuhito said ruefully.

“Oh.” A slight pout appeared on Kinoshita-kun's face. “You can eat dinner with us tomorrow if you want. I'm sure my mum and grandma won't mind.”

Was Kazuhito imagining things or was Kinoshita-kun desperate to make excuses so they could spend more time together? Whatever it was, it made Kazuhito's heart pound.

“Sure.”

 

***

 

Hisashi was crushing hard. There was no denying that fact anymore. When Narita-kun left the workshop that first night, Hisashi couldn't help but watch him through the window as he walked away. Hisashi was well aware that he barely even knew this guy, and yet, he seemed to embody everything Hisashi found attractive in a man. He was polite and a little shy, but also funny and talkative once he was comfortable. His face was still quite youthful but already showed the more angular lines of maturity, and his hands, as calloused as they were from work on the ship, were slender and talented.

Hisashi couldn't remember ever having wanted someone as much as he wanted Narita-kun. The thought was exhilarating, but also scary. Narita-kun could never stay in one place for long. He would always be travelling and he would always be meeting new people. But Hisashi wasn't going to give up. By the end of these ten days, he was going to be permanently burnt into Narita-kun's memory, Hisashi would make sure of that.

“Are you coming to dinner or not?” Hisashi's father suddenly appeared in the doorway, making Hisashi jump from his position at the window. Narita-kun was long gone and the sun had vanished behind the mountains of Miyagi.

“Yeah, I'll be right there,” Hisashi said, following his father upstairs.

 

***

 

There was something intensely intimate about the atmosphere in the workshop. Kinoshita-kun's family all kept to themselves while they worked, leaving Kinoshita-kun and Kazuhito alone in their corner of the room for the most part. On the one hand, Kazuhito was glad that there were few distractions and that he had Kinoshita-kun all to himself, but on the other hand, spending so much time with the young watchmaker was only making him fall harder and harder.

Kazuhito had already memorised Kinoshita-kun's speech patterns, and when he went to sleep at night, he could conjure up Kinoshita-kun's smile in his mind, falling asleep to dreams that ranged from sweet and innocent to hot and heavy.

It didn't help when Kinoshita-kun started outright flirting with Kazuhito. What had started as innocent little touches to direct Kazuhito's attention, had quickly turned into lingering touches accompanied by suggestive smiles that made the butterflies in Kazuhito's stomach flutter.

There was something there, some chemistry between them, but Kazuhito didn't know how to act on it. He had zero experience, and he wasn't going to ask his crewmates for guidance. They already teased him enough without him giving them more ammunition.

 

***

 

Time was a weird construct. As someone who made and repaired clocks and watches for a living, Hisashi was well aware of that. No matter how precisely calibrated your clockwork was, sometimes seconds felt like minutes and hours could flash by as quick as lightning. Never had this been more apparent than in the time Hisashi spent with Narita-kun. Hisashi could almost watch time run through his fingers like fine sand. He couldn't hold on to it, no matter how hard he tried.

Hisashi was getting desperate, and he knew it. He only had three more days, and Narita-kun still hadn't reacted to Hisashi's advances.

And then, finally, Hisashi snapped. Narita-kun wound up the wall clock he'd been trying to repair for the last two days, and suddenly it started ticking.

“Kinoshita-kun! I did it!” he exclaimed, turning around to face Hisashi with a wide grin on his face. Hisashi simply couldn't resist anymore. Without thinking, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on Narita-kun's lips. It was a fleeting thing, but as soon as Hisashi pulled back again, he noticed the utter shock on Narita-kun's face.

“Oh, no,” Hisashi said, panic slowly bubbling up inside of him, “I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to...”

“Kinoshita-kun...”

“That was totally out of line,” Hisashi said, slowly backing away to give Narita-kun some space. “I shouldn't have done that. I probably made you uncomfortable, and I–”

“ _Hisashi!_ ”

The given name cut through the air like a sword, hitting Hisashi right in the chest. Eyes wide, he stared at Narita-kun who was quickly closing the distance between them and cupping Hisashi's face in his palms.

“It's okay,” he said, smiling. “I don't mind. Just give me a warning next time.”

Next time. _Next time_.

“Next time?” Hisashi asked, his voice barely raised above a whisper. Narita-kun's face was bright red as he nodded.

“Now would be a good time,” Narita-kun mumbled and closed his eyes.

This moment felt like something out of a dream, but Hisashi wasn't going to let it pass by. He leaned in, and this time, it was a proper kiss – one that was reciprocated.

 

***

 

Kazuhito was on cloud nine. Kinoshita-kun was kissing him, and at that moment, nothing else seemed to matter. Not the fact that they were standing in the middle of the workshop, not the _Karasuno_ that would leave in three days, not their imminent separation.

“I like you,” Kinoshita-kun whispered in between soft kisses.

“I like you, too,” Kazuhito replied.

“That's sweet and all, but could you maybe not do this in the middle of the workshop?” The voice of Kinoshita-kun's father made them both jump. They hadn't even noticed that he'd entered the room.

Kazuhito would have loved to immediately vanish into thin air.

“I'm so sorry,” he blurted out, quickly letting go of Kinoshita-kun's face and taking a step back.

“No need to apologise,” Kinoshita-san said, picking his bag of tools up off the ground. “Make sure not to break my boy's heart, though. If I catch wind of you cheating on him in other ports, I _will_ find you, and you will _not_ like what I'll do to you.”

“Yes, sir,” Kazuhito replied, basically on reflex.

“Well, I'm going out for work,” Kinoshita-san said. “You two keep an eye on the workshop, and please don't make out where the customers can see.”

As the front door snapped shut behind his father, Kinoshita-kun burst out laughing.

“At least now I don't have to tell my family anymore, huh?”

Kazuhito shook his head in disbelief.

“How can you take this so lightly? Aren't you going to inherit the shop?”

Kinoshita-kun shrugged.

“So what? I'll find a good apprentice to adopt into the family eventually.”

Kazuhito sighed and leaned against the counter. All of this was a little too much to process, but he was undeniably happy anyway. They'd make this work, one way or another.

 

***

 

The sun was rising above the mountains of Miyagi as Hisashi watched the _Karasuno_ leave the airport. Somewhere in the hull of that airship was an engine room, and in that room, Hisashi's boyfriend was hard at work. They might not be able to see each other for another month, depending on the weather conditions. It was going to be rough, but Hisashi was willing to wait. Being with Narita-kun was worth it, and in the meantime, there were plenty of watches to make and clocks to fix. Time, like airships and watches, was a mere human construct after all.

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://gilrael.tumblr.com), [Pillowfort](https://pillowfort.social/Gilrael) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Gilrael92) if you want to keep up with my writing :)


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